Prime Minister Christopher Luxon live in the studio with Heather du Plessis-Allan on the Mike Hosking Breakfast show.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke live on Newstalk ZB this morning, discussing road cones, fast-tracking a new supermarket, and his plans for the country upon returning from holiday.
It comes after an opinion poll last week put Luxon’s National Party ahead of Labour and put Luxon himself on parwith Chris Hipkins for preferred prime minister.
Luxon told Heather du Plessis-Allan, filling in for Mike Hosking, that he had enjoyed a five-day holiday of reading, catching up on sleep and spending time with his wife.
“I come back and go, yeah, I’m really comfortable with the plan we’ve got. I think the plan is starting to work,” Luxon said.
“We’re dealing with the biggest recession we’ve had since 1991. We’re turning the joint around. It’s blimmin’ hard work. Yeah, we have to face some tough decisions, but we’re doing that well.”
Reacting to Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour’s supermarket fast-track proposal, Luxon said, “National loves fast-track”.
Said Luxon: “From day one, [Chris] Bishop and [Shane] Jones are the guys that have put in place fast-track in planning laws and infrastructure, and they got going with it.
Christopher Luxon says he has just enjoyed a five-day holiday of reading, catching up on sleep and spending time with his wife. Photo / Michael Craig
“Suffice to say, Nicola Willis is all over fast-track and considering it in the space around supermarkets and has been for some time. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, because she has a process she’s following.”
He said new “brain drain” numbers should be put in context: “Go back and look at the GFC, there were six years there where the numbers were higher. It just underscores why people go to Australia. Because they think they’ll make more income. We’ve got to make sure they can earn more income here in New Zealand.”
Luxon also spoke about road cones and the Government’s effort to reduce the number used around roadworks. He said Bishop wanted local councils to take a “risk-based approach”, which would be linked to central government funding of those roadworks.
He said the New Zealand Transport Agency had already reduced its spending on road cones.
Also, this morning, the Government’s plans to double the international student sector were revealed, with an outline to boost it to a $7.2 billion sector by 2034.
Under the new “International Education Going for Growth Plan”, eligible student visa holders in New Zealand will now be able to work 25 hours per week, up from the current 20.
It also wants to grow student enrolments from 83,700 in 2024 to 105,000 in 2027 and 119,000 by 2034 and increase the proportion of prospective students rating New Zealand among their top three choices from 18% in 2024 to 20% in 2027 and 22% in 2034.
Students on an approved exchange or Study Abroad programme will now also be eligible to work.
The Government will also investigate introducing a short-term work visa for up to six months for those who don’t qualify to work after finishing studying – allowing students time to seek employment in their field of study under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) pathway.
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